HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 4.A 12/3/2012 r ,
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DATE: December 3, 2012
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council through.City Manager .
FROM: Dan St. John—F.ASCE—Director, Public Works & Utilities
Joseph Rye-Transportation Manager •
SUBJECT: Resolution Adopting the 2012 Petaluma Transit Short Range Transit Plan
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council approve the attached resolution adopting the 2012
Petaluma Transit Short Range Transit Plan.
BACKGROUND .
Approximately every four years the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) requires recipients of
federally funded transit grants to produce the Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP). The SRTP is
• intended to be a comprehensive transit planning,document covering the upcoming ten-year
period. In the Bay area, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) establishes the
framework for SRTP content andformatting, and provides a portion of the funding to produce
the plan. To remain eligible for federal funds, the City must update, and the City Council is ,
required to review-and approve, the SRTP.
The SRTP serves as the primary planning document.for Petaluma Transit, and attempts to
anticipate operational and capital needs for the ten-year period.(2012 to 2021). In interim years, .
from the time'ofadoption`of'the SRTP, MTC historically requires that each FTA-funded grantee
transit system update its Operating and Capital Plans in the form of a "mini-SRTP".
DISCUSSION
The 2012 SRTP`charts a,course that builds upon the Petaluma Transit fleet modernization
programthat began in 2006. The SRTP identifies a growing variety of funding available to
Petaluma Transit for operations and capital projects,;and makes realistic assessments regarding
Petaluma's ability to continue receiving these funds in the future.
The Transit,Advisory Committee (TAC) and Manager began the process of developing the SRTP
earlier this year withydiscussions at TAC meetings, including meetings held June 28;'September
13, and October 11, 2012, input from fresh market research conducted by both Petaluma Transit-
Agenda Revie•
City Attorney Finance Director City Manage.
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and MTC, and,a review of transit goals;and achievements. Public outreach, public workshops
and on-board ridership surveys were;alsoan essential element of this process. Focus groups
(students & seniors):.were held in February, followed,by_a,public workshop at the Community
. Center on June 20, 2012.:A full on-board survey was conducted-the week,of May 1, when 282
cornpleted:surveys were received.
The SRTP contains an updatedisysteni overview, reflecting the dramatic improvements that
Petaluma Transit has realized in recent;years. Transit goals, objectives and standards have been
• updated: A chapter dedicated to the City's paratransit system,details,thearray of operational and
technological improvements recently undertaken, and'suggests•further improvements to enable
the City to meet the growingneeds of the senior and handicapped=population, in the face of
severely constrained funding. The recent challenges encountered as Petaluma Paratransit
•changed contractors and integrated industry-standard scheduling;and operational,procedures
were noted, as was.the,extremely lean level of office staffing; Recommendations for
improvement are identified, including adding a•midday dispatcher, further mastery of the
Trapeze Novus scheduling system, replacing the tablet computers:with heavy duty mobile data
terminals, and seeking a supplementa service agreementtwith a local taxi company. The SRTP
concludes=with the 2012-2021.Operations and Capital Plan. The,appendix contains a chapter on
Various projects on+which,transitoperatorsin Sonoma County have coordinated, as well as the
reports generated;in`recent outreach'events.
The financial analysis in the,SRTP relies upon MTC'sfunding forecasts and staff estimates of
future discretionary`City andgrantfunding. Capital projects are programmed by mandated
priority, customer needs, and the:availability of funding. The♦SRTP includes future service
expansion alternatives,asGrequested by riders during the extensive public outreach conducted
earlier in 2012 (see market research projects in Appendix)and attempts to prioritize each project
Jo align with projected funding: The SRTP also addresses the need to set aside reserve funds so
that core services are not at risk in future economic downturns.
The proposed action meets Council Goals: "Plan for and implement priority capital projects as
funding permits" and "Improve and enhance'fiscal stabilityand sustainability."
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
SRTPs are.required:approximately every four years in order to remain eligible for FTA funding. •
Thus, City Council adoption of the 2012 SRTP is essential,to=maintaining the City's eligibility to
apply for receive federal transit grants. Petaluma has produced the Draft Final 2012
Petalluma,Transit SRTP primarily in-house, utilizing existing staff with minor consultant
assistance on the paratransit•chapter and market research components. MTC has executed a
grant.agreetnent,to reimburse.the City of Petaluma up to $26,000 in costs incurred in the
productionsof;this SRTP. The project.was budgeted and'did"not impact on-goingcoperations or
capital projects. Remaining eligible for YEA funding:is;critical to Petaluma Transit. FTA funding
received by the City ,varies.annually, with as much as $1.3M towards a major bus replacement
project in 2010, and $1.4M towards-rehabilitation of the transit maintenance facility.
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ATTACHMENTS`
1. Resolution
I 2. 2012+Petaluma'Transit Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP)
3. 2012 SRTP Power:Point:presentation '
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Attachment 1
■ RESOLUTION,ADOPTIN,G 2012,PETALUMA:TRANSIT
SHORT RANETRANSIT'PLAN •
WHEREAS, the Federal Transit Administration (ETA) requires all direct grantees of
FTA finds to complete a full :Short Range Transit Plan (SRTP) every four years to remain
eligible to receive FTA funding; and
WHEREAS, City staff have'.conductedia thorough Mitt-each effort in support of this 2012
SRTP, including focus group research, a full on-board survey, discussion at several Transit
Advisory Committee (TAC) meetings, and a public workshop,on June 20, 2012, to which all
riders were invited; and.
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan"Transportation Commission'supported:the study, provided
a contentframework, and,provided funding for the project; and
' WHEREAS, MTC requires,amupdate to the SRTP-every four years in the form of'a Full
SRTP.;.and
WHEREAS; staff has produced a.Short Range Transit Plan that covers the years 2012-
2b21, featuring an operations,plan, capital plan, and route by rout •analysis, as well as a distinct
chapter analyzing the function of the paratransitsystem.
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT 'RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of
Petaluma adopts'the Petaluma Tfanit.2012 Short Range-Transit,Plan.
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